Willow Whispers
by colouredred
Summary: Zuko is a fiery-tempered teen with a complicated past that has left his life in a mess. Liu is an irresponsible young girl with a great love for chaos and challenges. When their paths cross, they both knew that nothing good could ever come of it. Zuko/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Avatar: TLA' and I never will. I make no profit from this, I just like writing, but all OCs are mine and my property to abuse.**

* * *

**Willow Whispers**

**Book One - Water**

**1**

* * *

_Water._

_Earth._

_Fire._

_Air._

_Spirit._

* * *

Grey clouds blanketed the sky, hindering the sunlight seeking to filter through. Wind swept across the ocean, creating waves that were unfavourably choppy, if one had a weak stomach. The scent preluding rain was present in the air, promising at least a small shower later on that day.

After looking all this over, an aging fire nation man could do nothing more than sigh, "What a fine day."

Beside him, his nephew glowered, yet refrained from criticizing for fear of incurring harsher drillings in his firebending routines.

Iroh glanced over and smiled wryly. "Is something wrong, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko growled, spinning on his foot, before turning his scarred face towards his uncle once more. "_We have no idea where we're going!"_

Iroh chuckled light-heartedly, ignoring the truth of Zuko's words. He often did this, much to his nephew's chagrin.

"What we need," said Iroh, as he walked to the edge of the ship's deck, "is a compass."

Zuko stomped his foot. "We have one already!" he shouted.

"A certain type of compass." continued Iroh. He spoke in a breathy voice, as if he were muttering his own thoughts aloud to himself; yet the volume with which he talked was loud, intending to be heard.

"A guide." decided Iroh, still muttering noisily.

Certain that his uncle was either going mad, or was attempting to convey a cryptic message, Zuko took a deep breath so as to contain his anger.

Striding over to Iroh's side, Zuko asked, "What are you on about?"

The older man beside him cast him a quick glance and knowledgeable smile. "I know of someone who could help you."

.

.

.

"And so," Liu whispered, "it begins."

The seven children, all of various ages, sat scattered around her, forming a disorganised crescent. Though previously they had been talking among themselves, now they were silent. Their attention was now wholly focused upon the older girl, who was idly twirling a strand of her hair around.

Silence stretched thin, became more restless as impatience grew amongst the children. At last one of them spoke. "_Well?_" he asked rhetorically.

"Patience, young one." Liu ordered with the demeanour of a wise, old woman, although that was not what she was.

The same boy stuck out his tongue, which Liu promptly ignored as she began to speak. "This isn't something I usually tell people, given that it's so scary."

"I'm not scared!" called out one of the boys, only to be slapped into silence by two other children.

Liu smiled slowly, the setting sun casting eerie shadows over the angular planes of her face. "Not yet." She promised. "But back to the story; I guess it all began on a night not so different to this one. The sun was sinking into the difference, turning the sky a red so bright it looked like blood. This should have been their first warning, yet the two young boys continued out anyway."

"Idiots." muttered a young girl, quiet enough that the interruption was overlooked.

"You see, there was an old abandoned house out in the forest. No one had been near it for years, much less _lived_ in it." Liu continued. "Time had done much damage to the house, which was now nothing much more than a rotting structure. Cobwebs covered the frames, gathering dust as not even the spiders saw fit to live there; it all looked very, very frightening. But as if its appearance wasn't enough; the house was also meant to be…_haunted_."

One of the three girls present, the dark haired Di, shot her hand into the air. She shook her fingers around, muffling her own screams by pressing her lips together.

"Yes?" Liu asked, recognising the gesture as one used to call for attention.

"Just how scary is this going to be?" she whimpered.

Liu hummed as she feigned consideration. She had chosen to have them all sit near the docks of their city, where they could sit on wood instead of dirt, and have their surroundings lit by enclosed flame of a handheld lantern. The effect was not as eerie as she would have liked, yet eerie enough that it caused some unease.

"Scary, but not as scary as Huan's face." Liu decided, indicating to one of the boys.

"Hey!" cried Huan in protest. "Well at least it won't be as scary as _your_ face."

Not taking it to heart, Liu merely laughed. Most insults rarely affected her, and the reason, she claimed, was because of the _'negative energy_' it gave her.

"Well then I guess…" Di interrupted softly.

Liu finished the sentence for her, "…that I can continue?"

She nodded meekly, and Liu grinned. "Right, well I did say that this house was haunted, so I should tell you why the villagers thought so. Before, when the house was still yet new, a young family lived there. They were still growing, a young couple who had a daughter who was only nine years old. They were all very happy, as most young people are, and still had a few more of those years left to live. That all changed one night, when a group of bandits chanced upon the secluded house; _Fire Nation_ bandits."

The children before Liu let out a loud 'boo'. Firebenders, or those from the Fire Nation, were commonly occurring figures in Liu's tales; it was quite precarious of her, given that she lived in an Earth Kingdom village occupied by the Fire Nation. She often painted them in an evil or humorous light, which was more to amuse the children that it was for her own personal reasons.

"They snuck into the house that night, and would have left with the few valuables of that family, if not for the daughter. She woke up just as they were leaving, and the one firebender among them decided there was one way to keep her quiet; kill her. Unfortunately, the firebender missed her heart, instead burning her arm and catching the curtain behind her on fire. The bandits left, for sure, yet not the daughter. She could have, yet she knew her parents would burn along with their house. That sacrifice was something the villagers around soon came to know through the bandits, and it was passed down through generations, becoming a ghost story among the children."

"It's not real though, right?" Huan asked.

"Are there any old buildings around here?" countered Liu.

The children glanced uneasily among themselves, not sure whether there _was_, despite being told there were, in fact, no ruined or abandoned buildings around their village. Liu knew there wasn't, and had responded rhetorically only to heighten the uncertainty of the group.

"See?" Liu said, whose cheery countenance was in stark contrast to her previously dark, solemn murmur. "There's nothing to worry about. Now, we return to the boys. I can't remember their names exactly, only that one was older than the other. They went out to the house only to prove to everyone that it wasn't haunted, only the closer they got the house, the more unsettled they became. Every sound they heard became frightening; even the crickets chirping. What was even more terrifying, however, was that the closer they were to the house, the quieter it became. It seemed that even the wind would not come near the ruins."

Di shivered, hugging her legs closer.

"Scared yet?" Liu asked, yet didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "Well you will be. You'll be just as scared as those boys were. They were alone, in the dark, when they found the house at last. The eldest of them approached first, and since it was he who held the lantern, the other quickly followed. The door had long since fallen out of the frame, which made it far easier for the boys to get in. So they stepped in, through the door frame, and- _woosh!_"

Liu leant forward, her hands gesticulating in a poor imitation of wind that swept passed the children's faces. Some flinched away, others gasped in surprise, and Liu cackled wildly at their various reactions.

"The lantern they had with them," she at last managed to whisper, "was blown out. A scream was heard, and the eldest, thinking it was his brother, turned and said-"

"It's not wise to tell children ghost stories at this time of night."

Liu frowned at first, knowing that was not what she was going to say, and then wondering why she sounded like an old man, all before coming to the realisation that led to her glancing up. Standing behind the group was man that looked as if he was as wide as he was old. His beard was carefully arranged, and despite his Fire Nation robes, his eyes held an appealing kindness.

"Perhaps not," Liu replied, "But that doesn't change the fact that it's fun."

He chuckled at her response. "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but my nephew and I are in need of some assistance."

He gestured behind him, causing Liu to peer into the growing darkness and spot what she had previously overlooked. The older man's nephew appeared to be her age, a scowling teen with a rather nasty burn scar over his left eye. Liu briefly wondered how he had obtained the mark, before pushing that aside.

"I'm nearly always happy to help." responded Liu, smiling.

"That's good to hear." The man chortled. "I'm looking for a woman that I was told resides in one of the Earth Kingdom towns along this coast. Her name is Jina."

"_Jina_, you say…" Liu mock frowned. "I _might_ know…I just _can't_ seem to place it."

She began to rub her nose with one hand, feigning frustration, whilst the other was extended towards the strangers. She heard the nephew mutter something unintelligible and unfriendly, before a coin was deposited into her outstretched palm.

"Thank you very much; the kindness you have shown me is rarely found in this world." Liu beamed, although it was not without sarcasm that she spoke. "And I think I remember who you're talking about."

She then looked to the children scattered around her. Each shied away from the Fire Nation strangers, huddling closer to the nearest, trusted authority; Liu.

She sighed, "I guess this is all for today, but I'll find you when it's time to hear the end of the story."

"Promise?" urged Di.

"Promise." agreed the older girl.

Di nodded, before running off after the other kids. They were eager to escape whatever business it was that was to be conducted. Liu then stood, dusting of her green Earth Kingdom robes and brushing the wayward strands of her dark hair that sought to escape her ponytail.

The silence was broken by the nephew, who uttered an impatient, "_So?_"

"So what?" countered Liu.

"Who is she?"

"Who's who?"

"_Jina!_"

The uncle then intruded upon the conversation, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and saying, "Be patient, Zuko." He turned to Liu promptly afterwards, seeking a helpful answer.

"The name _'Jina_' isn't actually her real name." Liu revealed, and added to play along with her lie, "I guess that's why I was confused. The person you're looking for is named Liu; and guess who that it is?" Neither attempted to guess, and so Liu cheered, "Me!"

The nephew groaned audibly. "See?" he barked, "This was a _complete waste of time!_"

Iroh ignored 'Zuko' and instead bowed to Liu. "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Liu." He greeted.

"A reciprocated pleasure." continued Liu, bowing in similar fashion.

"Ugh!" cried Zuko.

Liu couldn't resist responding, "That's not how you're meant to greet someone you've just met. And if you're seeking the services I offer, you should-"

A swift glare full of both passion and ice silenced her, although she refused to lose her smirk.

"So, I presume you have business to conduct with me?" Liu asked.

Zuko answered, "No." Simultaneously, Iroh said, "Yes."

Liu smiled brightly. "Great; follow me."

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**I'm glad I finally managed to get the first chapter up. It's definitely not as long as I like to make my chapters, but this chapter (and the following) will be introductory chapters.**

**It should also be noted that romance is _not_ my primary focus in writing this. Since I am planning to write a sequel to this trilogy, what I want to do in this is establish the history and connections for the second story. Because of it, don't expect too much from the romance, as its more about the relationship before that, and the friendship that develops between Liu (my OC) and the characters from ATLA.**

**Reviews welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Book 1 - Water**

**2**

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Zuko surveyed the house with apprehension and disgust. It embodied everything he knew he should hate, and some things he did.

It was small, and looked as if it contained two rooms at the most. Green paint was cracking and peeling around the window frames, seven to the front of the house. It was obviously Earth Kingdom, and it stood there like a sign announcing the poverty of its inhabitants. Rather than pity them, Zuko resented the fact that he was being forced to play along with his uncles schemes, and hated that Liu for even existing as she did in the first place.

"Please, enter." Liu swept her hand towards the inside of her house, whilst she stood at the open door.

Her hair was both black and long, tied in a ponytail that failed to capture the short bangs framing her face. Zuko found himself unable to meet her green eyes, knowing that Liu would only to continue to stare at him unblinkingly. She was entirely unsettling and irritatingly unpredictable.

She, as if to testify this, turned away from the Fire Nation pair and called out, "_We have guests!_"

Zuko didn't expect anyone to answer, yet jumped through the doorframe when an answering voice yelled back, "_Damnit!"_

"This, aside from being my home, is also were I prefer to converse with strange people such as yourselves." Liu explained, turning to them.

Zuko wasn't listening, and instead regretting ever entering the house. Though it did have more than one room, the hall into which they had entered was cramped and littered with assorted objects that, to Zuko, appeared remarkably similar to piles of rubbish.

Another curse from the same male voice as before was heard before a figure emerged from behind an arch in the hallway. He was a tall man, a short-haired brunette with the muscular build of someone who did quite a bit of physical work. His tan supported the idea, although his Earth Kingdom attire was clear of dirt.

"Enlai, these are our visitors," Liu announced, "Iroh and Zuko." She gestured to each in turn, using the names she had learnt on the walk to her house.

"It is an honour to be welcomed into your home." Iroh bowed humbly.

Enlai's lips twitched, as if he had forgotten what it was to smile. "It's a pleasure to have you." He responded.

He looked to Zuko next, eyes moving up and down his body. The teen just scowled and turned his gaze sideways; only to accidently meet Liu's.

"Perhaps-" Liu began, and Enlai concluded with, "I'll make some tea."

Iroh let out a contented hum. "An excellent decision." He praised.

Liu grinned before taking a few steps forward. Although Enlai had swiftly departed from where he came, Liu didn't follow. Instead she entered an entrance parallel to that, deserting her guests. After a moment, her head appeared around the corner, expression expectant.

"Well? Come on." She ordered, before disappearing once more.

"I hate this." Zuko muttered, resigning himself to trailing after the girl and his uncle.

Inside, he found a small lounge area, complete with a table and bordering cushions. A few candles served as lighting, although the sun had now set, leaving the room darker than ever. Liu had taken a seat at one end of the table, hands folded into her lap. "Take a seat." She bade them both.

Again Iroh thanked Liu, and again Zuko rolled his eyes. He had better things to do.

"Take a seat, oh honourable Zuko." repeated the dark haired girl, this time with more bite.

Grunting an insult, he did as she had asked, but only when a look from his uncle warned him to give in. The cushion was, surprisingly, not as uncomfortable as Zuko had expected.

As neither of the three in the room wanted to be the first to break the silence, they waited. Outside of the room, they could hear Enlai conversing with what sounded like a young boy. They were arguing about the correct way to boil tea leaves, which was strange enough as it was, before they began throwing insults about each other's looks. Zuko agreed with the unknown person when he began to shout about Enlai's nose being too big for his head.

"Are they your brothers?" Iroh asked, tilting his head towards the arguing.

Liu laughed shortly. "No, not at all. While I do think of them as family, they are brothers to each other only, and my mother is all that remains of my family."

"Your mother?" Iroh echoed.

Zuko grimaced at his own thoughts, jealous that Liu was lucky enough to still have her mother around.

"Yeah, Lanfen," Liu went on to explain, "She's asleep at the moment so I must ask if you could keep your voices lowered for now."

"It is no problem at all." Iroh concurred.

"Thank you- Ah!" Liu beamed at Enlai's appearance.

He brought with him two cups of tea, still steaming, whilst a younger boy brought the rest when he followed in after. Like Enlai, he was tall and sported brown hair, but that was where the similarities ended. Whilst Enlai was thickly built, the boy was lanky and his face still clung to the chubbiness of youth. If not for their shared brown eyes, he wouldn't have been able to discern their relation.

"Lei, this is Zuko and Iroh." Enlai clarified, and rested his free hand on the boy's head. "This is my brother, Lei."

The boy bore the same crooked smile as Liu, which seemed plastered to his face as he bowed.

"Whatever business you have with me, these two will also be aware of." Added Liu, unintentionally providing a reason as to why they sat beside her.

Iroh nodded as if he had already known this. "Of course."

"Can we start?" Zuko demanded.

Liu raised her eyebrow. "I've been waiting for you to."

Zuko groaned and began to stare moodily around the room. He didn't touch his tea, and he refrained from making further conversation. He had already agreed to allow Iroh to do the speaking.

"Liu, it is my understanding that you are not what people consider normal." Iroh began, and she nodded. "There are rumours of a woman, who is you, but under a different name, that has the ability to sense the spirits."

"Living and dead, human and non-human." Liu added, confirming, albeit in a round-about way, that she was the same person.

Iroh smiled softly. "It is a remarkable ability. What my nephew and I want to know is if you could use that ability to find, or track, these spirits."

The sentence garnered some surprise from the three across the table. Zuko had begun to listen, deciding that this was the moment of truth. The wrong answer, and he would not hesitate to leave this stupid village with its annoying inhabitants.

Liu chewed her lip, scrunching her hooked nose, and Zuko thought that maybe she had bit down too hard as her eyes began to water.

"If you open the window right now, you will see a man walking past. He appears nice enough, yet once you get to know him, you'll discover that he's only interested in two things; money, and ducks." Liu announced, her shoulders thrown back with confidence.

Zuko couldn't have doubted her claim less in that moment, and so was dumbfounded that the boy, Lei, even got up in the first place. But he did, walked to the window, and threw open the covering. Outside, just as Liu had said, was a man as unexceptional as everybody seemed at first glance.

Iroh chuckled, "Impressive."

"Thank you, although I don't think your nephew believes me." Liu replied.

"Because I don't." Zuko informed her.

She shrugged, not caring. "Fair enough."

"You couldn't have been able to tell what he liked." He insisted.

Liu smiled wickedly. "And why not?" she waited for an answer, and when none came she continued, "Okay, fine. I only know that because he works at the local butchery. But if you doubt my abilities, perhaps you should test me yourself."

Zuko crossed his arms. "I'm not playing your games!"

"Hush," Liu ordered, conscious of her sleeping mother, "and you already are."

"She could help us, Zuko," Iroh cautioned, "So why not?"

"_Because_."

Liu took a sip of her tea before saying, "Don't worry, he just doesn't like me yet."

"I find you to be a very nice young lady." Iroh offered, as slight consolation. "And as for this test; just how far does your ability to…sense spirits- how much can you see?"

Liu responded cryptically, "Everything is connected."

"_Great_, that's _so_ helpful." Zuko bemoaned sardonically.

It was Liu's turn to roll her eyes, and she did so when Zuko had his shoulder turned towards her so that he wouldn't see. Afterwards, she said to Iroh, "If I were to look for an ordinary person, it would be almost impossible to find them. There are some people, however, who have stronger spirits that are easier to sense. Benders especially have this trait. It's also easier for me to sense people whose spirits I have sensed before, because I know what to look for."

"Hm, then you could find, maybe, _the Avatar_?" Iroh inquired.

Liu laughed, expecting that to be a joke, yet when the strange visitors didn't alter their expressions, she sobered quickly. "You mean this literally." She murmured, not intending for it to be a question.

Zuko answered anyway. "Of course we do."

"I charge." declared Liu, suddenly. "My services aren't cheap."

"I expected as much," Iroh replied, "and we are willing to pay a great amount if you agree to our proposal."

"I think I'm a little young to be getting married." Liu joked.

Iroh ignored his nephew's scathing look, and instead chuckled alongside. "Not a proposal of that sort. A business proposal."

Liu drank from her tea, as did Iroh, before she found the time to say, "Well I'm curious."

Taking it as permission to explain his idea, Iroh began to speak. "My nephew and I aren't ordinary travellers. He is on a journey to find something, and I'm here to help him." Iroh explained. "We're looking for the Avatar."

Liu nodded, as if this were all natural and good. "Right-o." she said. "Can I ask why?"

Zuko turned away from the girl once more. His posture was rigid, displaying what he hoped to be a powerful image.

"It is within your right. You see, it is to restore the Fire Prince's honour-"

"Wait!" cried Liu, turning her gaze to Zuko. "You're not _that_ Zuko, are you?"

"Which Zuko?" Zuko replied, not knowing if there were even any other 'Zuko's worth noting.

Liu ignored him and hit her hand on her head. "I'm so stupid! You've even got the scar!"

Zuko turned his glare onto the girl, torn between being amazed by her idiocy, and anger that she had taken so long to realise just who he was. Suddenly, she bowed to him.

"It is an _honour_," Liu grovelled in an overly dramatic, blatantly sarcastic manner, "to have the _banished_ and _disgraced_ Prince Zuko in my _humble_ home."

"You should show me more respect!" Zuko snapped. "One day I will return, and I _will_ have the Avatar, and I _will_ be a hero!"

"Yeah, right." Enlai muttered softly.

Liu snorted, quickly calming down before she said something regrettable. "Whatever, Prince Zuko, just tell me what you want from me and how much you'll pay."

"Perhaps," Iroh cut in, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder and forcing him to sit back down, "I should explain this. When I heard of your talents, I thought you might be able to help us. If you agreed to accompany us and guide us to where the Avatar is hiding, we would pay you fifteen gold coins for each day."

Enlai and Lei both then jumped at the same time, saying in synchronisation, "_No._"

"Yep, no," Liu agreed, "unless it's twenty for each day, and I receive one hundred and fifty gold coins in advance."

"_What_?" Zuko shouted, ignoring the fact that Liu's mother was sleeping somewhere within the house. "We don't need her help anyway; let's go Uncle!"

He stood before seeming to attempt to move his uncle with the force of his stare. Iroh didn't twitch, and instead remained intent upon Liu. Zuko couldn't understand why it was that Iroh believed so firmly in that girl's abilities. He didn't, and further than that, Zuko was _certain_ that Liu was a fake. There was no one left who knew of the ancient techniques that could supposedly connect almost anyone with the Spirit World. Of course, Zuko hoped there would be one exception to that fact; the Avatar.

Just as Iroh set his tea down, Liu began to panic. "_Wait_." She exclaimed suddenly.

"Yes?" Iroh replied, expectant.

"This job; what I have to do is use my abilities to lead you to the Avatar. It could take three days, it could take three years. But I tell you where to go, and for my trouble, I will be paid twenty gold coins per day, and one hundred in advance so that my family can get by without me."

"No." said Zuko.

"Of course." Iroh said, changing their answer.

Enlai then smacked Liu on her shoulder. "Are you stupid? You're not doing this, and even if you were, we don't need the money; we could manage just fine." He berated.

Liu rubbed her shoulder, growling in the first display of annoyance Zuko had seen her display. She responded by hitting Enlai in similar fashion, and scoffing, "There's no way. You couldn't last a day without me."

"We'll see." He retorted, before realising that he had inadvertently granted Liu his approval of this undertaking.

It was only then, after almost an hour of discussing nothing but senseless drivel, that Zuko finally gave up. When he did, he didn't explode in a fit of rage and ranting, and neither did he begin to burn down the house. Rather, it was the opposite.

He simply said, "I don't even care anymore, just make up your mind."

"Well," began to Liu, "this offer does sound pretty agreeable."

It was a full moon outside, and a banished Fire Prince stood in the cluttered shambles of a random Earth Kingdom girl's house. It was so very unlikely that he would have found himself there, yet he did. He also found that though he considered this a conclusion, the truth couldn't have been any more different.

.

.

.

A small canoe, just large enough that it could hold its two occupants, lay drifting through the icy water of the North Pole. They were dressed in thick, blue clothes lined with fur that kept the chill out, and each had similar, brown hair. The boy, who was hunched over the water with his spear in hand, said, "It's not getting away from me this time. Watch and learn Katara, this is how you catch a fish."

The girl beside him looked away and instead directed her blue gaze towards the water. A fish swam about the side, gliding through the water gracefully. Katara frowned, and began to move her hand over the water, as if to guide it and shape the liquid around the fish.

"Sokka, look!" she exclaimed, having succeeded in encasing the fish in water that, amazingly, hovered in the air.

"Shhh, Katara!" Sokka hissed, "You're gonna scare it away."

The boy grinned and licked his lips. "Mmm, I can already smell it cooking."

"But Sokka," Katara insisted, "I caught one!"

She moved like water, her body drifting from side to side, whilst she prayed for her hold over the water to remain just a little longer. It was then that Sokka moved, switching to a very unfortunate position.

"Hey!" she cried, only to receive, "_Uuah!_"

But of course, Sokka just had to move at the wrong time. Katara's orb of water had been popped open, right on top of the boy, and the fish escaped back into the water.

"Why is it, every time you play with magic water, I get soaked?" Sokka grumbled.

Katara scoffed, "It's not magic, it's waterbending; and it's-"

"Yeah, yeah, 'an ancient art unique to our culture', blah, blah, blah. Look, I'm just saying if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself."

"You're calling _me_ weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water."

Sokka, who had been doing just that, froze and frowned. He obviously wasn't paying very much attention to his sister's words. They both soon forgot their bickering when the boat jolted forward.

The pair cried out, panicking as their canoe became caught in a strong current of water that just happened to wind its way through a series of very dangerous iceberg tips. Sokka snatched up a short oar and began to paddle frantically, attempting to steer the vessel and its occupants from danger.

"Watch out!" Katara cried, just as the path up ahead began to close up. "Go left, go left!"

Sokka obeyed, but it efforts were fruitless. Thinking quick, the two jumped sideways with mere seconds to spare before their canoe was smashed to pieces against the jagged ice face. For a moment, they lay on a slab of ice, neither speaking as they tried to process what had happened.

It wasn't too long before Katara's annoyance bettered her. "You call that left?" she aggressed.

"You don't like my steering? Well, maybe you should've 'waterbended' us out of the ice!" Sokka retorted.

"So it's my fault?!" Katara cried, growing increasingly frustrated.

Sokka responded with equal anger. "I knew I should've left you at home! Leave it to a girl to screw things up!"

"You are the most _sexist, immature, nut-brained-_ I'm embarrassed to be related to you!" Katara proclaimed.

At this point, Katara had found her footing and now stood so that she could gesture wildly with her arms. She slammed them backwards, which she failed to realise was not a good idea given she was an untrained waterbender who didn't have a good handle on her own abilities. Sokka noticed this, and his expression morphed to fear as the slab of ice behind his sister began to crack at each swing of her arms.

"Ever since mum died, I've been doing all the work around camp, while you've been off playing soldier-!"

"Uh...Katara?"

"-I even wash all of the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, _not pleasant!"_

_"Katara! Calm down!"_

_"No! That's it! I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your OWN!"_

The argument then ceased abruptly, and it was not that Katara had finally decided to listen to Sokka that ended it; rather, it was the huge wave of water now smashing into the iceberg, breaking it into two.

The two siblings fell down, gripping the edge the ice-slab, and clung to it so tightly that their fingers numbed. Had they not, they might have been washed away, just as the ice was pushed away from the destroyed iceberg.

Sokka, in the following moments of calm, took the time to comment sarcastically, saying, "Okay, you've gone from weird, to freakish, Katara."

"You mean I did that?" she asked, awed.

"Yep. _Congratulations_." Sokka said, although he didn't mean it.

By now they were both growing tired of this adventure. The situation had gone from bad, to worse; and it wasn't about to stop there.

The pinprick of light Sokka had assumed was his imagination began to grow larger, until it became a glowing circle of light expanding underneath the water's surface. Katara and Sokka hurled themselves backwards.

Waterbending, they could handle; but giant, glowing spheres of ice were a little different.

When the water calmed, the large ice-sphere settled down and there was no further movement from it. Katara leaned forward, her curiosity getting the better of her. She took a few steps forward, squinting as she tried to make out the shadows within the ice. There appeared to be a large, shapeless mass, as well as another, more humanoid, shape that appeared to bear glowing arrows.

They're eyes opened.

"He's alive!" Katara decided, before reaching behind her brother to snatch one of his weapons.

"Katara!" Sokka ordered, only to be ignored. "Get back here! We don't know what that things is!"

He followed her across the stepping stones of frozen water, each conveniently placed within easy reach of the next.

Katara, now level with the huge sphere of ice, began to ship away at it with the heavy Water Tribe weapon. Each time she brought it down, it thudded and took only a few chips off. On her fifth strike, Katara's exclamation turned from a grunt of exertion, to a shriek of fright. Wind and steam poured forth into the air, obscuring the world from sight. Ice began to fracture, the crack racing up the middle as the light from the inside poured out into the sky. The pillar of energy disturbed the sky, causing it to ripple in a sight as terrifying as it was beautiful.

All Katara could do was wonder why it was she always acted so impulsively.

* * *

**Finished the second chapter faster than I thought! Also, if you have read this at all let me know, but it doesn't really bother me. I just like writing for the sake of it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Book 1 - Water**

**3**

* * *

One morning, Liu found herself sitting on the deck of a ship in the South Pole, and wishing that she was still asleep.

Sleep had always been preferable to almost everything, according to Liu. In her dreams, she was boundless. There were no limits, no worries, and certainly no consequences. She could do as she wished, and when she wished it. The physical world, sadly, had none of that. Instead, Liu was faced with a reality that had seen her employed to the same people she had once sworn never to obey.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" questioned Zuko, walking over to Liu.

She looked up at him, taking in what he was whilst wondering what he would become. "If this is the South Pole." She replied, avoiding the entire truth.

It had been a week into her time serving the Fire Nation's exiled Prince, with an additional two days spent organising her employment; which was to say, ensuring that her family agreed to it. Zuko still didn't trust in her abilities, or her advice, which she thought was a wise move on his part. Although Iroh had supported her choice of destination – the South Pole – she had no reason for choosing the place other than the fact that Zuko had yet to visit it. That, and she had always wanted to see the snow.

But the truth of it all was simple; Liu couldn't sense the Avatar.

It would have been obvious if she could have. The Avatar was not someone to be overlooked so easily, and so unless the cycle had been broken, the missing Avatar had to be very well hidden.

Beside Liu, Iroh was playing a card game. He paused to say, "I am confident this is the South Pole."

Liu nodded to acknowledge he had spoken.

"Great, thanks for being such a _huge help!_" Zuko remarked angrily, before storming away.

Liu was used to the sight by now, and she much preferred Zuko's retreating figure to that of his approach.

Liu picked up a red cup of tea, graciously given to her by Iroh. However, when she finally took a sip, almost spat it right back out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught it; a large burst of light. It was white, tearing into the sky in a swift blast that quickly dwindled into a slimmer beam. She wasn't even certain it was real for a few seconds, even though it must have been. Liu hadn't even been concentration, yet she still felt the spiritual energy radiating from the light and its source.

Even from where he stood, Zuko could be heard when he muttered, "Finally."

He turned, gesturing to the light, and asked, "Uncle, do you realise what this means?"

Iroh, who had accepted the situation without batting an eye, guessed, "I won't get to finish my game?"

"It means my search; it's about to come to an end." Zuko corrected.

Iroh let out a loud sigh, recapturing his nephew's attention. "That light," continued Zuko, "came from an incredibly powerful source. It has to be him!"

"Or it's just the celestial lights." argued Iroh, raising his arm to the sky before returning to his game. "We've been down this road before. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?"

"It's really good." added Liu.

"_I don't need any calming tea!_" Zuko cried, with such anger that it made Iroh's suggestion sound even more necessary. "_I need to capture the Avatar!_ Helmsman, head a course for the light!"

Iroh placed another tile down, frowning. Liu, to distract him, said, "Can the helmsman even hear Zuko from up there?"

Her plan worked, as Iroh glanced at her and smiled. "I'm sure he got the message." He assured, alluding to Zuko stabbing his finger in the desired direction.

Liu nodded and gulped down the rest of her tea. She welcomed the heat, as it settled in her belly and warmed her core pleasantly.

"I'm sure that whoever caused that light," she announced loudly, "will prove to be very interesting; Avatar or not. Now, I think I'll return to bed."

"No!" Zuko ordered. "You're here to help us track the Avatar down, and that's what you'll do."

"But we don't even know if it's the Avatar-" Liu objected.

"It's the Avatar." Zuko interrupted curtly.

"-and until it's confirmed," Liu continued unheedingly, "I'm not entirely useful. You're paying me to tell you where the Avatar is, not to find the source of some mysterious light."

"Liu has a point, Prince Zuko. Let her sleep a little longer." Iroh jumped in, supporting his new-found friend. Although Liu was still hesitant to call Iroh a friend, she couldn't deny that their relationship was bordering upon the definition of such a thing.

"No." Zuko denied, purely just to spite Liu.

She shrugged and stood up. "Words are a powerful weapon, Prince Zuko. They can wound more quickly than fire burns, and they can heal with just as much ease." Liu began to walk away, tossing her black ponytail over her shoulder when she looked back. "But your words are nowhere near powerful enough to control me."

"_Get back here!_" cried Zuko, acting like an impetuous child. He didn't really want Liu to stay, yet she provoked him into trying to achieve just that.

Liu opened the door to the inside of the ship, before pausing and striking a pose that encompassed a hip thrust to the side and a playful smirk.

"Goodnight," she bade, before glancing and the sky and frowning, "or good day. Take your pick."

.

.

.

At first, she wasn't sure what had happened. There was a hard floor underneath her, and a pervading chill that sent shivers through her body. She had no idea of where she was, as it was certainly not where she had been when she went to sleep.

Then, after a moment, Liu realised she had simply fallen off her bed.

It was a commonly occurring incident. The ship was constantly moving, and Liu would turn with it. Her dreams were often turbulent and filled with movement, which led to Liu's body flailing about in her sleep. She couldn't exactly help it, but it was annoying waking on the floor most mornings – or whatever other time of day Liu chose to wake at.

Resigning herself to the fact that sleeping was now hopeless, Liu pushed herself up and began to dress properly. She had kept the tight-fighting long-sleeve shirt of hers on, for modesties sake, but often forwent her flared pants when sleeping. Now, it was those she put on, before Liu also slipped on her black boots.

Then, considering the low temperature of the outside, Liu also threw on her traditional Earth Kingdom wrap, and then a black coat with an inside lined with thick fur.

"So glad I get paid for this." She grumbled, stepping out of the small room designated to her.

Her remark had been true. Her whole family had been opposed to the idea. Lei, because he didn't want to have to pick up what Liu left behind, Enlai, as he was ridiculously overprotective – despite not even, technically, being related to Liu – and then her mother. Lanfen had been the easiest to persuade.

These days, her condition was worse than it had ever been. Her body was so weak she could barely support herself, and simple tasks had become a great chore. Lanfen spent most of her days sleeping, and Liu spent most of her days worrying about her.

It was Lanfen's illness that had been Liu's greatest advantage. With the money the job would pay, they could finally afford medicine for Lanfen. Liu now considered this venture to be the greatest thing she had ever done, and perhaps the only good thing her gift had ever brought her.

Liu was drawn from her thoughts when she finally reached her destination; the kitchen. It was probably Liu's favourite place on the ship, both for the food and the company.

"Hey, Shanyuan." She greeted happily upon entering.

He had his back to her, but when he turned, a boy of eighteen was revealed. He was quite thin, with a face full of delicate features that were far more feminine than masculine. Liu didn't mind this much, if only she could get rid of that large nose; then Shanyuan would be beautiful.

"Hey." He replied softly.

"What 'cha doing?" asked Liu, leaning on the island bench in the middle of the ship's kitchen.

"Cleaning." He answered.

"Cleaning? I thought you were the chef's apprentice, not the janitor's."

Shanyuan smiled at her timidly, and Liu grinned. She loved to tease men. "Lunch just finished. The cook left it to me to deal with the dishes." He explained.

"_You_? The great Shan?" exclaimed Liu, before then lowering her tone. "It's such a shame, when I'm sure you're such a great cook."

"I'm still in training." He reminded her.

"Aren't we all?" Liu responded rhetorically. "We never really stop. Life is just one great, big lesson."

Shanyuan laughed. Being far cleverer than he looked, he told Liu, "There's some bread in the cupboard behind you."

Even within the space of something close to a week, they had developed a simple understanding. Liu would flirt with him, and Shanyuan would give her food in return for the attention.

"May the rest of your days be filled with happiness." Liu replied melodramatically.

She turned around and opened two cupboards before finally coming across the one that was stacked with bread. There was a collection of types; loaves, scrolls, buns. Liu grabbed a seeded roll.

"Do you want any spreads with it?" Shanyuan offered.

Liu flashed him a smirk. "Not today." She opened the door once again, preparing to step out. Liu hesitated, and prompted by an afterthought, called back, "Thanks Shanyuan!"

If he said something in return, Shanyuan's words were lost in the echo of the door's shutting. Liu hated that about the Fire Nation ships; all the doors were noisy to open and shut. It ruined the silent approach she liked to employ when coming near people.

She was eager to escape to the outside by now. Although she was accustomed to dark, small places, it didn't mean she liked them. Liu instead preferred the outside, being under the sky and out in the open.

Along the way, Liu passed by a masked pair of the staff. When dressed like that, alarm bells went off in Liu's head. _Fire Nation, _she thought. As she passed, however, they nodded at her and Liu realised that underneath the uniform were people. She nodded at them in return.

When Liu emerged on deck, Zuko was standing there as if he had never left. Which, Liu reminded herself, he probably hadn't.

He stood with his back to her, spyglass to his eye. Liu felt the mild urge to hit him with it.

"What is your obsession with that thing?" she asked, making her presence known.

He scowled the moment she spoke, which obvious from the sudden tension in his shoulders. "I'm trying to find the Avatar." He reminded her none-too pleasantly.

"Ah, yes, because I'm sure it's that simple. I'm sure the Avatar will just be waiting there, begging for you to come and capture him-"

It was at that exact moment Liu had to stop speaking. Honestly, she felt a little stupid; for even as she had spoken, a shrill whistling was heard and Liu turned her attention to it. Up in the air, exploding in all directions, was a signal flare.

Zuko ignored Liu completely, following the small dot Liu figured was a person. They had emerged from the source of the flare, which happened to be a wrecked Fire Nation ship.

"The last airbender." He murmured.

Liu raised her brows. She wasn't sure she had heard correctly.

"Quite agile, for his old age." Zuko continued to observe.

Apparently she had. The Avatar had been found.

Zuko, aware that action should be taken immediately, turned around and stabbed his finger at the two guards behind Liu.

"_Wake my uncle,_" He ordered, "Tell him…I found the Avatar."

Liu's stomach decided to rumble, so she took a bite of the bread in her hands. Zuko returned to his telescope, eyes narrowing as he peered through it.

"…as well as his hiding place." He continued.

There was moment in which Liu allowed Zuko to revel in his good fortune, before she decided to spoil his mood and say, "Wow, very sinister, Prince Zuko."

"Quiet." He ordered.

"Sorry, that doesn't work on me." She replied, and took another bite of her food.

Zuko turned, ready to murder her, only to pause when he noticed Liu wasn't even paying attention of him any longer.

"If you want to eat, you should get up in time to eat with the crew." He informed her.

"If I want to eat," corrected the black haired girl, "then I need to flirt with dear, sweet Shanyuan."

Zuko was about to say something cruel in reply, only to realise he had no idea who Shanyuan was. "Who?" he inquired.

Liu laughed, making him regret the question immediately. "The apprentice cook." She clarified, slowly and as if he was dim-witted.

Zuko snorted arrogantly and returned to his original insult. "Like you could flirt anyway. You have the tact of a platypus-bear; and the face of one."

Liu shrugged nonchalantly, before her expression changed completely. She took two steps toward Zuko, and lowered her eyes demurely.

"You honour me, Prince Zuko," she began in a fawning tone, "Even though you insult me, your attention is flattery enough."

Zuko stepped backwards, disconcerted by the sudden change in Liu. He wondered if it was really her, and as if to affirm this, Liu's smile turned cocky once more. "See? Bet you couldn't even talk someone into giving you a kiss. Not with a face like th-_aaat!_"

Liu yelped, twisting to the side in a move that was pure instinct rather than talent. She still felt the heat on her back, which would have been a welcome warmth, if Zuko had not just firebended in her direction.

"_Sorry!"_ she cried, realising she had hit a nerve. "I didn't mean it that way though-"

"_In what other way could you have meant it?_" Zuko shouted.

Liu backtracked, her hands held up defensively as she hurriedly assembled her thoughts into a coherent sentence. "Any other way." she countered. "A scar doesn't destroy the beauty of something; it deepens it."

Zuko let his arms drop, though Liu kept her body tense despite how he looked away from her.

He replied, "What would you know about scars?"

* * *

**So this is obviously set within the first episode of A:TLA. I'm not sure if I need to mention that, but if you think it will help if I mention what episode the chapter is set within, tell me.**

**I do also have a lot more to reveal about Liu, so I'm hoping to add some intrigue there so this doesn't just end up with a useless OC. As for the chapters themselves, I'm currently only writing in bits with Zuko, and then adding on bits where Liu is concerned. I'm assuming you all know the story, so it won't be necessary to recount the entire episode. Obviously, I'll point out main plot points and stuff, but I'm hoping that this way I'll get a lot more non-canon scenes in to make the story more interesting.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Set in Book 1, Water, episode 2**

* * *

**Book 1 - Water**

**4**

* * *

Once again, Liu was alone, and she was immensely glad for it.

In her sixteen years of experience, she found that most people didn't make could company. This could never have been more true in regards to Zuko. So she was glad when he has left, disappearing below deck to, she presumed, prepare for battle.

It left Liu time to reflect upon herself and her life, which she obviously didn't do.

Instead, she sat down and finished her roll. Food truly was one of the greatest gifts given to humans; she would be lost – and probably dead from starvation – without it. When finished, Liu was then engaged in a mental debate with herself, over whether or not to get up and go seek more donations from Shanyuan, or to sleep. She chose the latter.

Her sleep was very peaceful for once, and she was quite enjoying the nap, until the ship began to shake. She fell over, the vibrations knocking her to the ground, before scrambling to her feet.

Liu leapt over to the railing, leaning against as she spotted the source of the interruption. They had arrived. The ship had continued moving as well, the tapered hull slicing through the thick ice land that made up the South Pole. The force of the collision, and the effort it took the ship to cut through it, was what had woken Liu.

Beyond the furthermost tip of the ship, Liu spotted a small Water Tribe village. Immediately, she felt sorry that she had to be on the side of the invaders. It seemed like a betrayal to be a part of this situation – one which was so familiar to Liu – and to now be committed to the Fire Nation. The only comfort she could offer herself was the belief that business _was_ business.

The ship stopped its approach just as they reached the wall of ice and snow surrounding the village, which was now breached. Liu decided to get a better look at things, retreating inside the ship and swiftly traversing the insides until she emerged on the lowest deck.

She heard steam hiss as it was poured out, and then the metallic clang as something metal moved. Liu raced from the door to the edge of the deck, so that she could clearly see what was happening.

A metal door had opened at the bow of the ship, leading down onto the snowy ground. Liu guessed that Zuko was exiting here, although her vantage point hid him from view.

What she could see, however, was a boy who was probably also half-idiot, charging towards the ship with a wild war cry that sounded like a screeching baby. Liu didn't intend to be mean, but that was the impression she received of him.

A moment later, and she noticed him fall head-first into the snow piled either side of the open ship door.

Zuko, backed by six soldiers, appeared to Liu as he marched towards the line of blue-clothed villagers. She could hardly hear from where she was, and so Liu focused hard on the sounds the wind brought to her ear.

"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko seemed to say.

There was no reply from anyone, or so Liu could tell, and so Zuko lashed out. He grabbed an old woman from the line and pulled out towards him.

"He'd be about this age! Master of all element!" he continued loudly, shaking the poor woman.

Yet again, no one spoke. Zuko threw the old woman forward, drew back, and then swung his arm around.

Fire emerged like a crescent in the air, sweeping towards the Water Tribe villagers. They screamed, covered their faces, but the fire passed safely overhead.

"I know you're hiding him!" he informed them.

Liu noticed, from behind, a movement. It was the idiot from before; he had picked up his weapon and now charged at Zuko again. Liu might have warned him, only Zuko was an ass and didn't deserve it.

None of that mattered, however, as the boy's cry alerted Zuko to the attack and he acted quickly, tossing the boy over his shoulders and onto the ground. Zuko punched, sending a burst of brilliant flames towards the boy, who avoided them by rolling away.

Zuko dodged backwards, leaving Liu confused as to why until she noticed the boomerang spinning through air. It went high enough that she could clearly see it, before turning in its course.

The idiot, who was proving himself surprisingly capable, charged at Zuko again. He held a spear this time; though Liu had no idea where it had come from. She watched, a little disappointed, as Zuko wasn't hit. Instead, her punched upwards with his arms and broke the weapon before it reached his body. A few jabs with the hilt to his head, and the idiot-boy fell to the ground.

His courage was almost admirable enough that Liu considered going down there and helping him out. _Almost_.

Then, in a strike that Liu wished she could have seen up close, the boomerang did was what boomerangs do. It came back; and on its way, it hit Zuko on the back of his head. Luckily, or not so for some people, he was wearing a helmet to lighten the blow.

Enraged, Zuko clenched his hands and bended two daggers of flame from his hands, before-

Well, Liu wasn't too sure. But Zuko was on his face, having been flipped over by what looked like a boy ridding a penguin. When she looked closer, she determined that it _was_ exactly as she had seen it.

The penguin veered around before the Water Tribe crowd, spraying them in snow. When Liu looked more closely at the boy, she could make out his orange and yellow clothes. The style was distinctly different to that of any other that she had seen; except the Air Nomads.

Liu could only draw one conclusion from this; he was the Avatar.

The penguin waddled away, the Avatar sat on the ground, whilst Zuko stood and brushed himself off.

Then, in a formation that had been long practised, Zuko took a fighting stance and his men formed a circle around. The fight would begin, and hopefully, end in Liu's favour.

That hope seemed dashed when the Avatar made his first move. Using some kind of bending – water or air – he sent a wave of snow crashing down over the Fire Nation enemies. It buried them briefly, before melting away from the heat Zuko emitted.

"Looking for me?" asked the Avatar.

"You're the airbender? _You're_ the Avatar?" Zuko exclaimed.

The two began to circle each other, although a conversation ensued that temporarily halted any further attacks. They were too far away for Liu to hear what they said to each other.

Liu imagined it was something belittling and fuelled with anger; a hypothesis that best fit given the two blast of firebending Zuko sent towards the Avatar.

The arrow-headed bow caught it in his twirling staff, using it like a fan to keep the fire from touching him. He moved evasively around over the group, taking him before the villagers. They screamed, stopping the Avatar.

He said something short, to which Zuko nodded. The boy dropped his staff, and two of Zuko's soldiers came up behind and grabbed his arms. It seemed he had surrendered; an interesting move.

One of the Water Tribe girls rushed forward, but went no further than a few steps.

The Avatar was marched onto the ship, and Liu could only think one thing.

"Well, that was boring."

.

.

.

"This staff will make an excellent gift for my father." Zuko declared, pleased with is work.

He, Iroh, the captured Avatar and Liu were all gathered on deck. Liu had chosen to stay out of the way, and so watched from her place leaning against the railing of the ship. She didn't really care much for what happened next; she was just glad that it had ended and she could return home.

It was only begrudgingly that she admitted it, yet she missed the company of Enlai and Lee. Her mother was someone she obviously longed to see again, yet her two foster brothers were in a far more precarious position, given their habit of picking on her.

"I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks," Zuko continued, talking to the Avatar and drawing Liu's attention to him, "Take the Avatar to the prison hold."

Liu thought he sounded far more like himself when giving orders, although that might just have been because he sounded angrier. Zuko then held out the wooden staff, belonging to the Avatar, to his uncle.

"And take this to my quarters." He ordered Iroh.

Iroh took the staff, whilst Zuko walked away in the direction opposite to that of the way the Avatar was being escorted.

"Hey," Iroh ordered a nearby soldier, "You mind taking this to his quarters for me?" Though it sounded like a question, it most definitely wasn't one.

Iroh glanced at Liu as he began to leave the scene, and the two shared a knowing grin.

There was something about the man that made him impossible not to love. He was enigmatic and charming, with a presence that emitted both power and wisdom. It was a dangerous combination, and Liu had already determined that she didn't want to cross a man like him. She'd much rather be his friend.

With the deck now empty and Liu free to act how she wished, she turned back the water. No doubt it would be freezing – she could tell just from the huge plates of ice that drifted passed – which led her to wonder some pretty strange things. Foremost on her mind was her wondering if Zuko would freeze if thrown into the glacial water.

At the moment, and as one could easily tell, she was a little annoyed at him. She typically didn't like the emotion, and so often forgave indiscretions against her, yet that boy was getting on her nerves. He made no secret of just how much he doubted her spiritual abilities, and she usually let that pass.

Today, however, he had crossed a line. When Zuko had appeared on deck with the Avatar, he had immediately told Liu to get lost. Of course she responded appropriately, calling him an empty-headed idiot for not recognising her greatness, yet the point he had made was that her advice meant nothing.

It was, however accidently, her decision to go to the South Pole that led Zuko to capturing the Avatar. As was natural, Liu had wanted him to as least respect that.

Perhaps she just needed to make him.

Just as Liu was about to start the devising of her payback, she was interrupted by the thud that seemed to come from underneath the ship. She turned on her heel quickly, just in time to see a blur of orange and yellow shoot from the opening in the deck.

He spun in the hair, moving with grace and practised precision, until his leg was extended towards the door on the other side of the ship.

"Oh, you're escaping." Liu remarked.

The Avatar glanced towards her, his eyes growing wide as he noticed Liu there. Before he could attack her, she quickly assured, "Don't worry; I wouldn't even bother trying to fight the Avatar."

The boy, who had to be no older than twelve, shot her a querying look. Liu pointed towards the door.

"You should hurry." She told him wisely.

"…_okay_." The Avatar replied slowly, before taking off.

He raced along the deck, entering the hallway just as a Fire Nation soldier emerged from the prison hold.

"_The Avatar's escaping."_ He called, raising his hand to the soldier at the top of the ship's tower.

Liu crossed her arms, glaring at the masked man until he noticed her. "You're ruining all the fun." She huffed.

He tilted his head in her direction, sending her an odd look obscured by that infernal mask. Liu then realised that her actions were quite suspicious. No one – Iroh exempt – seemed to trust her wholeheartedly on this ship, for which she didn't blame them, and so she understood that they might think she was on the Avatar's side rather than theirs.

Liu wouldn't exactly say this was true, although she couldn't deny it completely without lying either.

On one hand, she could listen to the little selfless voice within her that kept telling her that with the Avatar alive and free, the war and fear that was poisoning the world might end. Another part, no less dark, or more, said another thing, and urged Liu to do what was best for her and her alone. Today, Liu was feeling particularly partial towards the selflessness within her.

She could have continued this philosophical discussion with herself if not for two things. First, was that it was boring her, and second, something seemed to be happening up in the air.

Liu glanced up, spotting what seemed to be two orange fans, one smaller than the other, gliding through the air. It sailed on its own for a brief moment, before a small figure jumped after it and caught it above him. So it seemed the Avatar could fly.

Just when he looked like he would escape, a dark clad boy followed the jump. Much to Liu's displeasure, Zuko didn't miss and fall to his untimely death.

He caught the Avatar's foot, dragging down his glider – or so Liu was now calling it – causing a short struggle to take place in mid-air. They came crashing down, nose-diving onto the deck.

Liu reached towards her waist, where she had kept concealed underneath her shirt a small dagger.

Zuko rose first, and the expression of anger was clearly visible to Liu. This was in great contrast to what she could see of the Avatar, which happened to be his back only.

"_Liu_!" Zuko shouted, commanding her into action.

She didn't move.

"_Capture the Avatar_!" Zuko continued, thinking Liu was probably stupid and needed clarification.

Liu smiled cheerfully at him, and shook her head. "He's right in front of you." She called back.

Zuko turned to the Avatar, prepared to attack, only to be thrown off when a booming, animalistic growl sounded through the air.

Liu swivelled on her feet, and began to rub her eyes in disbelief. Up in the sky, unsupported and devoid of suspension, was what seemed to be a bison.

"What is that?" Zuko asked, just as perplexed.

As if it answered anything, the Avatar cried, "Appa!"

Zuko noticed the distracted Avatar, and sent a blast of fire his way. The boy began to spin his staff-glider, using his own airbending to disperse the flames. The force lifted him into the air, carrying him over to where Liu was. She spun out of the way, leaving it to the Avatar to stop himself from toppling over the edge.

Zuko continued sending powerful blasts of firebending towards the boy, until one knocked the staff from his hands. Liu ducked, the wooden instrument just missing her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, although no one listened.

The Avatar was balancing on the railing now, teetering on the edge of losing. With one finally blast, Zuko's bending blinded the Avatar. He cried out.

Fell.

"You're not so supposed to kill him, you dunce!" Liu admonished wildly, racing towards the railing.

Even as she did so, having previously decided that the Avatar could not yet waterbend, another miraculous thing happened.

Before she knew it, a large tower of water was stretching towards the sky, spiralling around with terrifying intensity. It grew so high, so large, before narrowing. And there, at the very tip, was the Avatar.

Liu had just about had enough of miraculous things for one day.

The spiral bent, curved towards the ship deck, where the Avatar landed. He bent the water around him into a ring, before moving so that he directed it outwards. It pushed out at a frightening speed, slamming into the Fire Nation soldiers gathered, knocking them to the ground, and also pushing Liu against the railing of the deck and sending Zuko overboard.

In her daze, she wondered if the exiled Prince were now turning to ice in those freezing waters.

Liu could only vaguely recall what happened next. She thought maybe the bison-thing landed, heard the name 'Aang' called, before clarity began to return to mind.

"…just a guy, with a boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying, and magic!" whined an unfamiliar male voice.

Liu sat up, rubbing her back, and then paused. It _was_ a bison.

"Yip yip! Yip yip!" called the same voice, belonging to a boy climbing said bison.

Liu watched in amazement as the animal flicked its large tail, groaned, and then jumped. Rather than land, the bison decided to continue rising; Liu had to conclude that it was flying.

As Liu was standing, she noticed a confused, sleepy Iroh by the door, and then the frozen soldiers on deck. Her laughter quickly became dangerous, when Liu found herself on the floor again, having slipped from the force of her shaking body.

"Shoot them down!"

Liu rolled her head over to see Zuko climbing, with aid from his uncle, onto the ship again. He wasn't frozen, and in fact seemed quite dry.

The two men – well one, and a teenager – pulled each other up and took a stance. In synchronisation, they moved through the forms. A double-sized burst of fire shot from them both, combining and heading on a collision course with the escaping Avatar and co.

Just when Liu thought it would hit them, a force that was presumably the Avatar sent the fireball veering off course. It slammed into the side of one of the giant ice walls, rupturing it.

The last thing Liu thought she would see was the great white avalanche crashing down over her, and the last thing she thought she would say was, "Why me?"

When that didn't happened, and Liu opened her eyes and found herself very much alive, all she could think to do was praise every spirit known to her.

"Good news for the Fire Lord," Iroh announced, characteristically calm, "the Fire Nation's greatest threat is just a little kid."

Zuko turned around, saying, "That kid, Uncle, just did this. I won't underestimate him again."

Liu looked around at the damage. "That's one hell of a kid." She sighed.

"Dig the ship out and follow them!" Zuko ordered. He paused when noticing that his men were working on melting the frozen soldiers on deck. "…as soon as you're done with that."

"Well," Liu began, clapping her hands together, "this was rather eventful."

She started to walk away, hoping to avoid Zuko and indulge in a welcome nap, only to hear, "_Liu_." Right then, she wished for any other name than her own.

"What?" she asked, pivoting in her step.

Zuko approached her, tense and more than a little irritated. "When I ask you to capture the Avatar," he leaned close, "you _capture the Avatar_."

Liu couldn't help it; she laughed. "No, actually. I believe I'm here because you're paying me to tell you where the Avatar is, not to _capture_ him."

So bewildered, so marred by a frustration that contorted his features just as much as his scar, was Zuko, that a wry smile couldn't help but slip across Liu's lips.

"Spirits, Zuko, you're so stupid." She said.

* * *

**Well it took me a bit, but here it is. Sorry it's rather boring, but there weren't very many ways with which I could incorporate my OC into these scenes. Obviously, she'll take up a bigger roll as the story progresses, but for now she's a little on the sidelines.**

**Read and review please!**


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